Now that we are well into the year, have you been able to stay on track with your health and fitness goals? Or do you need to adjust to make them more realistic or challenging? Or maybe alter something else in your life to allow your goals to be more successful?

If you are one of the many who is internally saying, “yes I need to adjust” that’s ok! Sometimes we need to adjustment our goals. It’s about being real with ourselves and creating a lifestyle and environment that enables us to achieve them.

So, how has your goal changed this time of year?

My personal goal for this time of year is to start new habits with ease, instead of jumping full force into new habits that look good at first, but that might not be a flashy and new habit for long.

No matter if your new years habit was a dietary intention (booting all refined sugar to the curb), exercise intention (working out consistently throughout the week) or other lifestyle intention (meditating for 10 minutes each day), it’s the steady and regular aspects that enables us to win in the end. By winning I mean giving your body the tools it needs, while minimizing other areas that negatively impact your body, so it can function optimally and allow you to do what you love.

And with this transitional ease, it’s about listening to your body. Listening to the signs and symptoms your body is giving you and treating your body with respect to do no harm to it.

Yes, we all slip up from time to time. That’s the beauty of being the wonderful and amazing humans that we are! We all do it. And indulgence is a normal part of being human. Though it’s about staying on the steady path toward your intended goal and allowing you to feel your best as often as possible.

A healthy human body can tolerate things in moderation (such as consuming a certain food that does not agree with your body, overindulging in your favorite dessert or not making time to exercise), but there is a tipping point. And we each have different levels where this point begins to fall.

For me, when I detour off the path, it might look a little silly to some, but silly or not I can feel my body’s changes the next day or so thereafter, and sometimes sooner! It might not be after every occasional detour. And it’s not so much about my body weight, but about how my body is feeling from my digestion, my mood, my inflammation, my energy, my workout and my training performance.

When I’m dialed in to my goals and on the straight path I thoroughly enjoy waking up without muscle tightness, no puffy bags under my eyes and feeling mentally clear.

What does it look like when you veer off your path?

For me, I’m not the kind of person that indulges in refined sugar, fast food or gluten as my body feels the negative impacts right away. It’s what I have come to realize, that this is what works for me, my genetic make-up and being able to enjoy my passions in life without pain and discomfort, and instead with true pleasure.

So, what are some of my indulging tendencies? They may consist of: raw goat cheese, too many homemade sweet potato chips (it’s the number of sweet potato chips at one sitting that makes it trouble!), more red wine than my body likes at one sitting or not working out for the allotted time I had intended for.

Remember, the goal is about giving your body the tools it needs to feel it’s best.

When was the last time you truly listened to your body and acted to take the right steps in allowing your body to heal naturally and thrive?

There are so many simple daily steps you can do to help keep you on target toward your goal(s). Here are a few reminders: